Brain C, Fox V E
Etosha Ecological Institute, Namibia.
J S Afr Vet Assoc. 1994 Dec;65(4):173-4.
Two young (< 2 years old) elephants (Loxodonta africana) died suddenly and simultaneously at Ongava Game Reserve bordering on the Etosha National Park, Namibia. Both elephants showed lung congestion, epi- and endocardial haemorrhages and hyperaemic areas in the mucosa of the stomach and small intestine. Histopathology of the myocardium showed multifocal degeneration and necrosis of muscle fibres accompanied by haemorrhages. Parts of the leaves of the alien plant Cryptostegia grandiflora (Asclepiadaceae) were found in the intestinal tracts of the elephants. These findings suggested that the elephants died from heart failure after ingesting this plant which contains cardiac glycosides.
在纳米比亚与埃托沙国家公园接壤的翁加瓦野生动物保护区，两头幼象（<2岁，非洲象）突然同时死亡。这两头大象均表现出肺充血、心外膜和心内膜出血以及胃和小肠黏膜充血区域。心肌组织病理学显示肌纤维多灶性变性和坏死，并伴有出血。在大象的肠道中发现了外来植物大花软枝黄蝉（夹竹桃科）的部分叶子。这些发现表明，大象因摄入这种含有强心苷的植物后死于心力衰竭。
